


Shackled

by Rangergirl3



Series: Whumptober 2019 [9]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Keith (Voltron) Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-12-28 21:28:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21143486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rangergirl3/pseuds/Rangergirl3
Summary: Keith hates not being able to move.





	Shackled

**Author's Note:**

> It's fine. It's fine. It's fine.
> 
> (It's not fine).

"You know," Lance says, almost conversationally, "I think we might be under some kind of curse."

True to form, Keith remains quiet, but the Blue Paladin continues, more out of habit than anything else.

"I mean, let's face it. Every _single_ time you and I are supposed to have a nice, boring, _easy_ mission?"

It's only then that Lance brightens, as he realizes he can snap his fingers. (It's just about the only thing he can do, given that they're both shackled hand and foot to the walls of the cell).

"It goes south like _that_."

As the _snap_ cracks against the stone walls, Keith's shoulders go tight with tension and he automatically recoils away from the source of the sound. Lance blinks, confused.

"Keith?"

The Red Paladin's fingers twitch, but he doesn't look back at Lance right away. Instead, he closes his eyes and swallows, as if - as if he's scared. It's difficult to tell, since the cell is full of shadows, but Lance is fairly certain that Keith's hands are shaking.

Fear begins to coil inside Lance's guts.

_Oh, **that's** not good._

_The Red Paladin doesn't scare easily._

"...uh...Keith? Are you...okay...?"

To Lance's ears, his own voice is uncertain, almost nervous.

* * *

"- I'm - I-I'm -"

Keith swallows again. 

_The sound had just taken him by surprise._

_That was it._

_It was fine._

It was just a finger snap, for fuck's sake - and it was Lance -and Keith wasn't afraid of Lance, not at all.

They were _friends_.

Keith tries to relax his muscles.

_It's fine._

_It **is**._

The sound hadn't - it hadn't actually sounded like anything scary.

But it had just - come so unexpectedly, and - it - it echoed so loudly - it was - it was like -

* * *

Since Keith still hasn't opened his eyes, Lance's worry only deepens.

"Keith?"

But the Red Paladin just shakes his head from side to side, slowly, deliberately, even as he opens his eyes and raises his head to stare fixedly at the wall in front of him.

* * *

"-'m fine," Keith says, trying to keep his voice even. "Uh - it's - just - "

He tries to relax his muscles, but the cold iron shackles around his wrists are locked tight enough to keep him from even rotating his wrists.

_No, no, no, bad bad bad, move move move **move**_

He loses track of what he was going to say, settles instead for tugging at the manacles, desperately searching for any weaknesses.

_There's no give, none at all._

He can't get out. 

_He's trapped down here._

There's no way out.

_No, please, **no** -_

* * *

At first, Lance can only watch in confusion and dismay as his friend begins twisting his wrists against the iron manacles. 

Keith - he's impulsive, sure, sometimes annoyingly so, but even he's usually not like _this_.

"Hey - uh - Keith?"

Keith's spine is ramrod straight, but now his eyes aren't focused on anything, and he doesn't give any sign that he's heard Lance. He just continues to twist his wrists from side to side, seemingly mindless of the damage he's doing to himself.

"Keith?!"

Lance's dismay turns into dread when the Red Paladin's wrists start to bleed. Keith is hurting himself, but he doesn't seem to care.

"_Keith_!"

Keith keeps staring forwards at nothing at all. It's like he's on autopilot, or locked into some kind of survival-based response.

It would be downright terrifying even if he _weren't_ actively tearing his own skin to shreds.

* * *

A very small, distant part of Keith's mind knows that he's hurting himself, but that knowledge is far outweighed by the desire to _get **out**_.

_Bleeding is a small price to pay for movement._

_It's fine._

_It's **all** fine._

_As long as he gets out, it's all fine._

A shout breaks through the daze. It startles Keith into glancing to one side.

_Oh. Lance._

_Lance is here too._

The Blue Paladin's eyes are wide, scared, and almost frantic.

"**_Keith_**!_ **Stop** **it**_!"

Awareness returns.

_This won't help him get out._

* * *

Lance is glad when Keith stops trying to tear his own wrists apart.

But he still doesn't quite understand what just happened.

He asks his friend if he's okay.

Keith doesn't answer right away.

* * *

Keith doesn't really know what to say.

_He could say he's fine._

_But he isn't._

_He is so, so very **not** fine._

He hadn't meant to react the way he did. 

It had just - happened.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are loved! :D


End file.
